Ketamine is categorized as a dissociative anesthetic and was initially produced for veterinary medicine practices many decades ago. It was later approved for human medicine in the 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s, Ketamine evolved to become a popular club drug. Ketamine is recommended for some mental health diagnoses, such as OCD and depression; however, that treatment regimen is relatively new. The names Ketamine has acquired over the years for taking it illegally are vast. The most popular nicknames for Ketamine are Special K, K2, Vitamin K, Super K, Super C, Ket, Kit Kat, Super Acid, Green, Purple, Mauve, Super Acid, Special LA Coke, Cat, and Cat Valium. 
What Happens When You Take Ketamine?
When a person takes Ketamine, they experience euphoria and are relaxed. Ketamine causes a person to hallucinate and feel out of the body. Many Ketamine addicts will reference their Ketamine drug-taking sensations as what is known as a “K-hole.” A k-hole is when a person feels an inability to move or come back to reality. Many people express having the sensation of floating and feeling disconnected from reality. The ways Ketamine is ingested range from snorting it as powder, mixing with liquid and drinking it, swallowing it in a capsule pill, or injecting it. Ketamine is a white powder substance that is acquired illegally. It is not uncommon for drug dealers to steal Ketamine from Veterinary practices or hospitals. The most common way Ketamine is used is through snorting and drinking it. The dosage amount that people take to get high on Ketamine ranges from 75mg up to 300mg’s. The higher the dose, the more profound the effects and amount of time that a person will be high. Ketamine is a cousin of phencyclidine (PCP) but has less than 10% of the potency of pure PCP. Both PCP and Ketamine are considered hallucinogens and dissociative anesthetics that block sensory perception. When people are on Ketamine, they will have sensory distortion of colors, time and space, sounds, as well as their self-awareness, and of their environment will become distorted. When a person is very high on Ketamine, they can believe they can walk on water, or fly, or will think other dangerous hallucinations are real.
Where Does Ketamine Come From?
The club scene that popularized Ketamine dates back to the rave and club scenes in Europe and Los Angeles during the 1980s and 1990s. Ketamine was considered a fun drug to ingest when at a rave or club. Ketamine has since become as popular to also do at a party or to use while on a romantic date. The people who use Ketamine regularly also develop a tolerance to the drug and, like other drug tolerance, will need more and more Ketamine to feel the effects. The potential for overdose is not as common as with other club drugs. Still, Ketamine can cause serious medical emergencies to happen. The concern for drug users who are regularly taking Ketamine is that they will develop permanent dissociative perceptions, kidney and bladder diseases, as well as heart and lung problems. The sensations that Ketamine causes users to feel may cause a person to experience a spiritual, emotional, or mental connection with others or themselves, but like other drug effects eventually stops. The hangover from Ketamine use causes a person to feel groggy and out of it. Some people report muscle pain from standing or remaining in one position for hours. When a Ketamine user enters an ongoing state of being high, also called being in a K-hole, many persons cannot move for many hours. The intensity of a Ketamine high also depends on whether other drugs have been taken. Since Ketamine is a popular party type of drug, many people will mix it with other drugs like ecstasy, acid, alcohol, and even heroin or methamphetamine. The mixing of Ketamine with any other substances is what causes most accidental overdoses. A person’s body cannot tolerate the influx of multiple drug reactions at once. When a person becomes sick or psychotic from taking Ketamine, it is usually a result of a combination of drugs and Ketamine. Although most people who take Ketamine promote the effects as positive, it can also cause a person to experience negative sensations as well as cause them to feel fear and paranoia. Not all Ketamine highs are good. Every person reacts differently to Ketamine, and for some people, the high was scary, and they wished they’d never taken it. The treatment program that is available for Ketamine addiction helps a person to learn how to live life clean and sober and still enjoy themselves without drugs or alcohol.
Ketamine Addiction Treatment is Available
If you or someone you love is taking Ketamine regularly, the possibility of addiction is quite realistic. Evoke Wellness at Miramar offers programs for treating addiction to Ketamine, ecstasy, and other popular club drugs. The methods and therapy that our Ketamine treatment programs rely on include evidence-based forms of psychotherapy such as cognitive-behavioral therapy as well as one on one counseling, group counseling, and holistic therapy methods.
